Cuffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The Cuffe surname comes from the Middle English word "cuffe," which meant "glove." It is thought that the name was originally an occupational name for a maker or seller of gloves. Although most instances of the name in Ireland were through migration from England, there were native Irish bearers of Cuffe from the Gaelic form of Ó Duirnin. Although this name is usually Anglicized as Durnin, it had occasionally become "Cuffe" through mistranslation, since the Gaelic word "dorn" refers to "a fist." 1

Early Origins of the Cuffe family

The surname Cuffe was first found in Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh), the former Kingdom of Osraige (Ossory), located in Southeastern Ireland in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Cuffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cuffe research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1598, 1601, 1641, 1670, 1678, 1694, 1733, 1737, 1744, 1781, 1793, 1797, 1804, 1821 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Cuffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cuffe Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Cuffe dating from that time include Cuff, Cuffe, Couffe, Couff, Cuffy, Cuffey, Cuffie and others.

Early Notables of the Cuffe family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was


Cuffe migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Cuffe family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Cuffe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Cuffe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Cuffe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Cuffe migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cuffe Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Cuffe Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Cuffe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cuffe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Cuffe migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7
Cuffe Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cuffe (post 1700) +


The Cuffe Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Animus tamen idem
Motto Translation: Yet our mind is unchanged.
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